Charity begins at home for Spurs hot-shot Berbatov

Dimitar Berbatov's mother has revealed her pride in her son's work to help the cause of five Bulgarian nurses who face the death penalty in Libya.

The Tottenham striker wears a wristband when he runs onto the football pitch in the national colours of Bulgaria which sports the slogan "You are not alone."

The nurses who have been condemned to death for injecting 400 children with the HIV virus while they received treatment in a hospital in Benghazi.

The married mothers were arrested eight years ago and put in jail to await trial but their supporters claim they are scapegoats and that poor hygiene standards in the management of blood transfusions at the hospital are to blame for the tragic turn of events.

A final appeal is to be held later this year and Margarita Berbatov - Dimitar's mum - is spearheading the international campaign to have the nurses set free.

"I had no idea Mitko [Dimitar’s nickname] was going to join the campaign. It was his idea but he has always supported my work," Margarita told The Times.

"I was watching him play for Spurs one weekend and there was the armband. It made me so proud. The other Spurs players have lent their support and so did the Spurs fans. I would like to thank them and ask them to continue to give publicity to this terrible episode."

Margarita added that Berbatov, who is already enjoying cult status at Spurs, is a generous man who loves to help children who have hit hard times.

"It was natural for Mitko to wear the band. He is a very compassionate man and football is not the only thing in his life," she added.

"Whenever he is here, he comes with me to the orphanage I support and brings them gifts. Now the children all have shoes because of him. They love him.”